Whether you're new to the sector, or have been around for a while, you'll know that it takes a special kind of person to navigate the systems, personalities and general ambiguities that HE can throw at us. But we also know that our roles can influence real strategic change and provide immense job satisfaction. Hear from Penny Eccles, a former HE Marketing Director who has worked with many UK institutions. Penny will share her seven secret tips for survival and give you the insight to help you thrive.

2020 will long live in our memories as a year of disruption, challenge and turbulence which has affected life in the education sector for the long term. But what does this actually mean for how we market our universities, colleges and schools in the future?

- What have we learnt about marketing and communications in education as a result of the lockdown lifestyle?
- What will we be doing more – and less – of?
- What innovations have emerged as a result?

This session will present findings from a bespoke programme of consultation with leaders of marketing and communications operations in education institutions around the world to explore the new world of education marcomms. Lavery & Shaw will paint a picture of the brave new world that now awaits our profession – and share their optimistic insight about how we should be forging ahead when it comes to presenting and projecting our institutions.

2020 has brought the sector and our communities untold challenges, creating an environment that has necessitated changes in approach and focus at both a local and global level. For marketing and communications professionals, our Time.Is.Now. Join me for a candid review of lessons learnt during the last seven months, and a timely reminder of why our expertise is so important to the success of our organisations, now and in the future. 

Over 300,000 staff, students and alumni around the world. More than 500 courses. Over 150 years of history. Ranked among top 20% of world institutions. Five campuses. And one new VC with new ideas. But WHO ARE WE?

Join Fiona Blair, Director of Marketing, Communication and Engagement, and Vicky Pearson Head of Communications, University of Reading together with Joel Arber, Managing Consultant and Group Head of Business Development, SUMS to explore the journey they took to uncover an authentic University of Reading brand. This interactive, case-study-based session will showcase an internal, community-led approach to brand evolution and how this approach has paid dividends as the University has, like all others, navigated its way through the trauma and turbulence of the year so far.

There’s a lot for us to see, a lot for us to learn, and we’re all going to have to use data with 2020 etched into our memories.  What does this mean for all of us and our institutions?

In his session Thomas will explore models of leadership, management practises and personal development which enabled the marketing team to achieve excellence. The Marketing team, led by Rebecca Trengove, Director of Marketing and Communications, won the HEIST Gold Award for “Best Marketing Team “ at the HEIST 2019 awards and is currently shortlisted for the THE2020 Awards in the category of “Outstanding Marketing/Communications team”. This session will aim to be an honest appraisal of the challenges and opportunities in creating a team in this competitive environment and with limited resources.

The student journey has always been a challenge for institutions, however, in today’s world this journey has become increasingly complex and even more important to students, who understandably seek more reassurance and clearer information than ever before. With rapidly changing student expectation, there has never been a more important time to review the student journey.

Our session will contextualise some of these changes seen in the last 8 months and the impact this has had on universities, drawing on our recent experiences, market research and the perspective of our education clients. We’ll address questions such as what are the new ‘moments that matter’ and what challenges and opportunities have emerged?

We will also outline how universities can approach the student journey, where to start and what to prioritise. We’ll also explore how to engage stakeholders effectively while many are still working remotely, as well as adopting innovative new practices to improve and optimise the ‘new’ student journey.